On behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Jonathan Wilkinson, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver announced today in North Vancouver, BC that the Government of Canada is investing $235,950 thousand in the recreational fisheries habitat restoration project with the Seymour Salmonid Society.

Recreational fisheries face many environmental challenges, with habitat loss being the most common threat. The RFCPP provides an average of $10 million annually to support local and community partners to restore, rebuild and rehabilitate Canada’s recreational fisheries habitat.

The Government of Canada is also taking action to protect the waters of Canada’s three coasts with the recent announcement of a $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan. The Plan will improve marine safety, protect our marine environment, and create stronger partnerships with Indigenous and coastal communities.

The application period for the next round of the RFCPP is now open. Applications will be accepted for projects commencing in 2017-18 and that are one to two years in duration. The application period will close on December 09, 2016.

Brief project description:

The Seymour River Rockslide Mitigation Project is located on the Seymour River in North Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2014, a landslide deposited 50,000 cubic meters of rock and debris into the Seymour River, blocking fish access to the most productive spawning and rearing habitat areas for salmon. This project will “restore migration conditions for all species in the Seymour River that existed before the 2014 rockslide, in a safe and sustainable manner”. This will be accomplished by using low velocity explosives to crack the large rocks into smaller pieces which can then be moved downstream by river hydraulics. This will continue until the gradient reaches approximately 7 percent and is fish passable. This objective will be monitored using both acoustic and radio tagged fish as well as visual monitoring already in place. A secondary aspect of the project will be the installation of a floating fish fence that will capture fish in the lower reaches of the river before they are trapped below the slide area. Fish can then be moved upstream past the slide to spawn naturally and to the hatchery as broodstock.

Quick Facts:

265 volunteers will work on this project to restore fish access to 14 km of spawning and rearing habitat.

6 species will see an improvement in their habitat through this project.

The RFCPP is a six-year, $53 million program that funds recreational fisheries habitat restoration projects across the country.

Since 2013, the RFCPP has funded more than 500 projects, with contributions worth almost $24 million.

The RFCPP usually funds projects in the range of $20,000 to $100,000 per year, with an upper limit of $250,000 per year.

To be eligible for RFCPP funding, the total support for the project from all levels of government combined (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) cannot exceed 75% of the total project value. In addition, no more than 50% of the project’s total budget can come from the federal government.

Quotes:
“The Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program brings Canadians together to help conserve and protect the future of recreational fishing. Shared stewardship of our cherished tradition of recreational fishing is something all Canadians can take pride in.”

Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

“The Government of Canada is proud to support this community-oriented initiative that returns our precious ecosystems to their natural form and restores fisheries habitat across the country to the benefit of all Canadians.”

Jonathan Wilkinson, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver

Associated Links
For more information on the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/rfcpp-ppcpr/index-eng.html